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Total Per Gent 
Lambing Rnles 




COPYRIGHT 1915 

BY 

THOMAS BOYLAN 



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SEP 30 1915 



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Total Per Cent Lambing Rules 

Copyright 1915 by Thomas Boylan 



To Those Lanib'uig Bii'cs: 

It is quite impossible to give rules that 
will cover each day all your environs, as 
shelter, feed and water, help, etc. How- 
ever, under ordinary circumstances, the 
following- will prove successful : 

These pages being written for the one 
who would try, it is the object and desire 
of the writer to explain to the inexperi- 
enced hand, in a plain manner, the work 
of lambing sheep, especially under range 
conditions. Having made a study of the 
work for years, we have seen the utter 
impossibility of verbally explaining the 
many necessary details to the "new men" 
each year. \\q admit lambing ewes in 
large numbers successfully is somewhat 
of a fine art, still common sense, patience 
and endurance will allow any one adapt- 
ed to the care of live stock — which means 
a person who appreciates the worth and 
meaning of life in any form — to lamb 
sheep. Common sense will permit any 
one to readily have at least some idea of 
the physical endurance, both as to tem- 
perature and nutrition, of the animal in 
his care. The patience which enables 
you to endure the inclemencv of any sur- 
roundingf for their welfare, is also neces- 



2 

sary, for it, too, prevents that hostile, or 
we might say hideous mood of mind 
which causes so many people to abuse 
live stock when it is absolutely uncalled 
for. 

It should be self-evident to the or- 
dinary person that life in its beginning is 
easily overcome by death ; that nature 
has endowed man with a higher intellect 
that he may care for that life which in 
his esteem has sufficient worth to justify 
that care. A providing nature has en- 
dowed the sheep with many desires and 
inclinations, which, while quite clear to 
the naturalist, to the casual observer and 
shepherd often appear very contrary. 
That the sheep is the most contrary ani- 
mal, other than the hog, is an assertion 
which often comes from a lack of knowl- 
edge of its nature. 

True, when unintelligently selected 
surroundings compel you to howl, whis- 
tle, and dog it out of its natural content- 
ment, it often becomes contrary, but this 
mood is forced upon it by its environs, of 
which the barking dog and the unintel- 
ligent and noisy shepherd are generally 
the greatest fault. 

Allow sheep their natural contentment 
by lea vine them to their own care when- 
ever possible. They will then hold them- 
selves to the herd and very seldom stray 
off. Tending sheep in this manner will 
permit them to show you their wants and 

V 

©CI.A410757 



— 3— 

necessities. Provide them when you can, 
for it pays the owner and ahvays Hghtens 
your work. 

Although shee]) will soon hecome used 
to the whistling and holloing shepherd, 
together with the harking dog, apparently 
paying little attention to them, they do, 
nevertheless, fret, causing them to 
roughen and lose in flesh. Wq have seen 
sheep become so thin by such treatment 
that they were actually too weak to fol- 
low the herd longer. They will always do 
their best to stray away from such sur- 
roundings. Sheep know the intelligent 
shepherd never whistles, hollos, or rushes 
the dog at them unless it is absolutely 
necessary, and they very readily mind 
such a person. 

Surelv it is not the shee]) that is at 
fault when the shepherd selects as their 
pasture, during a stormy day. a bleak flat 
or mesa, where the shee]) in their discon- 
tent are compelled to run around seeking 
shelter or to maintain their warmth, vex- 
ing the herder, causing him to dog them 
severely. 

BIGGIN N INC. 

Should you have plenty of pasture, put 
your dropping ewes unon the lambing 
ground 143 days after the rams were first 
with them. This gives them a little time 
to locate, their dropping time not being 
up until the 145th day. Tf lambing upon 
the open range, two or three good, live 



— 4— 

men to each i,ooo ewes will be necessary, 
while for shed lambing there should be 
four or five for that number of ewes. In 
each case the amount of help necessary 
depends upon the range and method of 
lambing. The men should have enough 
clothing and bedding to be out in all kinds 
of weather without chilling. Inform them 
that abusing the sheep by using the crook 
as a club, dogging, or otherwise, will not 
help you nor ease their work in the least. 
Truly, the man worth while in a lambing 
camp is ''the man who can smile when 
everything goes dead wrong" — the man 
who sees many things and can find the 
time, the way, and the will, to better 
them. 

Do not bed dropping ewes upon steep 
hillsides, where they wnll cast themselves 
during or before lambing. It may often 
become necessary to bed small bunches 
out by themselves : this gives the covote 
a great chance to do his work. To keep 
him and other predatory animals away 
during the night, it is well to have fire- 
crackers, fuse, or powder, scare-crows 
and lanterns on hand. To catch and 
chain a live coyote out upon the lambing 
ground has been the most effective scare- 
crow the writer has ever used to keep 
covotes from the lambing range. As a 
disinfectant for bites, cuts, sores and 
maggots, have carbolic acid, turpentine, 
or some good creosote sheep dip. jNIark- 



mg materials are also very handy at times 
to mark certain ewes and lambs. The 
remedies given here for the treatment of 
ailments generallv found at lambing time 
are not those found at a drug store twen- 
ty miles away, but, rather, those cam]) 
necessities which are most always at 
hand. Thev have i^roven their merit and 
can be relied upon. 

Tlli', DROl' r.AXl). 

Put the best man you have with your 
dropping- ewes. He should have a cool 
temper, good feet, and the will to use 
them. Each day he should have a sheep 
crook and some (iuarter-inch rope with 
him. 'J1ie shec]) should have salt or salt 
feed enough to be contented. Water 
them once a dav during dry weather : on 
rainy days they will feed better when not 
given water. Tn bunch laml)ing, where 
the new-born lambs are with the drop- 
ping ewes all the time. 700 ewes are 
enough to the band, while if you lamb 
by the dropping system, where you part 
the new-born lambs and their mothers 
from the dropping ewes several times 
each 24 hours, }0U may have up to 4,000 
ewes in the drop band. This is not ad- 
visable where your range is closed in or 
short on feed or water. Upon such a 
range 1,500 ewes are enough to the band. 
Have them bedded in the warmest places 
at night. Tn nice weather let them leave 



the bed ground as early as possible, while 
in bad weather — if you have them on a 
good bed ground — let them remain as 
long as they wish. Never hold them on 
the bed ground in the morning by rush- 
ing them back with a dog when they are 
ready to leave. By so mixing the ewes 
you will "bum" lambs dropped during 
the night. On bad days put them in the 
warmest places, behind hills, in high 
brush, or any other good shelter you may 
have near at hand, which will keep the 
new-born lambs out of the wind. During 
warm and pleasant days let them out well 
in the morning hours, then hold them up 
a few hours on good feed, turning them 
toward camp and water early in the after- 
noon, so that the lambs dropped in the 
evening hours will be near camp, where 
thev will not have to be moved. 

Should your range allow you to change 
the bed ground each night, while the 
lambs are coming fast, it is best to do so. 
When the range is so situated that you 
cannot move caniD each day, compelHng 
\'ou to move the ewes with lambs off the 
bed ground, so the dropping ewes may 
bed in the same place again, trv not to 
move them until about the time the drop- 
pers come in around camp in the evening, 
say about 4 p. m. Do not move them far- 
ther than is necessary to keep them from 
mixing with the drop band during the 
n.ight. Before the ewes bed down for 



the night, catch all ewes that appear sick 
and have not been on feed or wish to be 
alone, not caring to follow the herd 
longer. Such ewes likely have a dead 
lamb in them. \\'atch for such ewes 
during the day and take the lamb from 
them before blood poison kills the ewe. 
Safeguard yourself and the ewe, if con- 
venient, by disinfecting your hands be- 
fore and after doing this. 

WORKIXC. THl' I'.Kl) C.RorXI). 

This seems to be a critical time for 
many shepherds. Some persons become 
greatly ])rovoked tr\ing to hold the new- 
born laml)s and their mothers ajiart from 
the dropping ewes, as the latter leave 
the bed ground in the morning. Shep- 
herds who rush among the ewes and 
lambs, in order to move the dropping 
ewes ofif the bed ground in the morning, 
will make themselves much work, but 
will never bring out a good per cent of 
lambs, as ewes having dropped their 
lambs during the night are always some- 
what uneasy and excited when the herd 
leaves in the morning. It is indeed the 
height of folly to rush among them, caus- 
ing them to run away from their new- 
born lambs in their excitement. Allow 
the dropping ewes to leave at their will : 
do not drive them off ; all ewes that have 
not dropped will follow the herd if you 
will onlv give them time. Should a few 



— 8— 

ewes take their lambs and try to follow 
the herd, let them go a few hundred yards 
before you try to cut them back. Should 
there be one or two granny ewes trying 
to steal lambs, leave them, rather than 
rush among the others. Wait a few 
hours until the lambs become dried and 
the ewes overcome their excitement, be- 
fore working the bed ground. 

Allow all ewes that have dead lambs in 
them, or those unable to drop their lambs, 
to follow the dropping ewes off the bed 
ground ; then hold up the herd, catch the 
ew^es and pull the lambs from them. At 
this time, also, catch all ewes that may 
have left their lambs on the bed ground 
and turn them back, so they may pick 
them up. Look over the bed ground dur- 
ing the day for big-teat ewes, weak and 
"bummed" lambs. Should you have any 
"bum" lambs, mother them on ewes that 
have had dead lambs. It is probable that 
the ewes you pulled the dead lambs from 
would like to mother the "bums." 

Keep ALL dogs away while working 
Ijed grounds. 

GATHERING THE DROP. 

Do not gather new-born lambs during 
snow or rain storms when they are in 
good shelter. It is always best, where 
possible, to leave the new-born lambs 
where they drop the first 12 to 24 hours. 
This can be done — where you have them 



in o^ood enough shelter for the night — by 
roun(hng up the outside of the day's 
dro]) just a Httle, then place a tepee with 
a lantern in it in the center of the bunch, 
a few firecrackers, with here and there 
a scarecrow around the outer sides, or 
have a man sleep near them to keep ofif 
coyotes. The ewes will generally bunch 
themselves by moving up around the 
tepee during the night. If they must be 
moved to shelter, or for other reasons, let 
the men start to move the oldest of the 
day's drop of lambs as soon as the drop- 
pers start back toward camp or water in 
the afternoon, always moving the oldest 
to the youngest when convenient to do 
so. Do not allow anyone to move lambs 
when wet or too young, unless it is neces- 
sary' to put them into shelter. In that 
case, trv to move them before the storm, 
rather than after they become wet. X'ew- 
l)orn laml)s still wet. or having become 
wet l)v storm, rubbing together, some- 
times change their scent, so that quite a 
number of their mothers become sus- 
picious of them and will not allow them 
to suck until they become dried, before 
which time they may die. We have also 
on several occasions seen ewes become 
skeptical of their lamb after having 
cleaned it. simply because the lamb had 
come in contact with the cleanings of 
other ewes. 



When it is necessary to move new-born 
lambs, move them slowly and gently to 
the nearest good shelter. In no case is it 
advisable to carrv lambs around in gunny- 
sack- full lots. By so doing you are likely 
to "bum" more lambs than you save. Tie 
or pen all ewes that do not own their 
lambs until they do own them. Be sure 
you are putting thkir lambs with them. 
When you have placed the day's drop 
in good shelter, when you are most sure 
they are w^ell protected from predatory 
animals, let them remain quiet for the 
night. The next morning have someone 
move them to water. Alix them, when 
you have to, according to the "table" of 
these rules. Do not rush the bunches to- 
gether : get them close to one another, 
then let them mix themselves. Watch 
the badger holes. Lambs generally crawl 
into holes during the cool of night, in 
hot, sunny days, and during cold, rainy 
weather. 

MIXING TO MAKE UP HERDS. 

It is always best to have your two-year- 
old ewes mixed with the older ewes dur- 
ing their first lambing. However, this 
should be given consideration in the mix- 
ing of the young lambs, of which the 
following table will give you a very good 
idea. Do not drop more at any one place 
than the table allows. Should the drop 
be heavier than this during the night 



— II — 

hours, cut the drop band in two for a 
few days. In the following table we 
count ewes only, and it is always best 
for your per cent to have less if it is 
convenient to keep them apart longer : 

The Tabic. 
Lambs, Mixed twos Old ewes 

hours old and older ewes straight 

I to 24 120 or less 150 or less 

24 to 48 200 or less 250 or less 

3 days or more . 350 or less 450 or less 

From this time on they should be left 
until they are the following age, when 
they can be mixed as follows : As ew^s 
know their laml)s l)y scent ondy during 
the first four to six days, it should be 
readily understood that it might become 
impossible for the ewe to find her lamb 
should you bunch them sooner than 
these tables allow, making you many 
worthless lambs. 

Lambs 4 to 6 days old ( }oungest must 
l)e 4 days old). 650 to the band. 

Lambs 8 to 12 days old (youngest 
must be 8 days old), 1,300 to the band. 

The above for mixed twos and older 
ewes. \\'hen the herds are made up en- 
tirely of ewes past two years old use 
the following table : 

Lambs 4 to 6 days old (youngest must 
l)e 4 days old), 750 to the band. 

Lambs 8 to 12 days old (youngest 
must be 8 days old), 1,500 to the band. 



12 

These tables should be considered well 
any time you do any mixing to make up 
herds. Where you have good feed and 
water, they will prove very successful. 
However, as ewes can and will suckle 
their lambs more readily while in small 
bands, the development of the lamb will 
be much more rapid where you are not 
compelled to bunch them too soon. Let 
these lamb bunches remain (juiet as much 
as you possibly can. If your feed is 
poor around the water and the ewes have 
to leave their lambs to find feed, do not 
mix so soon nor so many. It may be 
advisable to move the droppers along a 
little faster, and by so doing you will 
leave more feed behind for the ewes 
with lambs. 

DOCKING OR TRIMMING LA^IBS. 

Lambs should be docked when from 
six to twelve days old, when convenient 
in bands of not more than 700. For sev- 
eral reasons it is best to trim them on a 
cool day before they move around much 
in the morning. Avoid trimming in the 
heat of the day. Docking lambs in old 
corrals is dangerous, because it is un- 
sanitary — many lambs are likely to die 
if left standing in old corrals after being 
cut at docking time. Turn each lamb 
over the fence and out to pasture as you 
dock it and you will avoid this trouble. 
When you can so arrange, it is best to 



—13— 

leave these trimmed bunches where they 
are the balance of the day. At least do 
not overheat them by rushing them 
around, either l)efore or after trimming. 
Let them rest a while. 

We have used a knife in tailing laml)s 
for years, but find they become a few 
|)ounds heavier during the summer sea- 
son when seared, so advise the use of 
searing tongs to do the tailing. Keep 
these tongs red hot, so thev will sear and 
stop all blood. To sear lambs, the dock- 
ing corral is arranged the same as when 
you dock with the knife, ^^ou simply 
have an extra man, who places a stove 
or builds a hre to the right of the per- 
son doing the ear-marking and castrat- 
ing. In this fire or stove the tongs are 
kept hot. and as the party doing the 
trimming ])asses tlie lamb to the right — 
the catcher still holding it — along the 
cutting board, this extra man has the 
tongs ready to part the tails. One heat- 
ing of the tongs will sear and part the 
tails of four or five lambs. You should, 
however, have at least two or three pairs 
of these tongs. They are sold at Chi- 
cago. 

If, after a few days, two or three of 
your largest lambs become sick, bleed 
them a little by cutting them under the 
tail stub, l^se a solution of loo parts 
water to one part creosote sheep dip, or 
the same solution of carbolic acid, as a 



—14— 

wash to swab wether lambs. This will 
disinfect all cuts and keep flies from 
them. You will also save many lambs 
that have been snagged, dog or coyote 
bitten, by disinfecting them at once, or 
within a few hours, with either of these 
solutions. In castrating young lambs, 
cut the scrotum or sack off about one- 
half inch from end, then pinch tight 
above the testicles and draw them. Part 
the tails at about the lower end of skin 
ofl inside of tail. At this time herd-mark 
each full band of ewes and their lambs 
distinctly with a separate mark, so they 
can be parted in case they mix with an- 
other band during the summer season. 

PULLING LAMBS EVERSION OF WOMB. 

In pulling lambs from ewes, try to at- 
tend to such ewes before the lamb is 
dead. Get the legs out first ; pull slowly 
and be careful not to jerk — you may pull 
the lamb bed out of the ewe if you do. 
Should you do this, or should you find 
a ewe with her womb cast, it can be re- 
placed by raising her hind parts and 
slowly forcing the womb back, inserting 
the parts until the whole womb is turned 
in its proper shape and is in its natural 
position. Tie her left hind foot to a 
bush, or something, allowing her six to 
eight feet of rope ; leave her for an 
hour, and her pulling will keep the parts 
in place until they become set. Where 



the parts have hecome dirty, they should 
be l)rushe(l clean with a clean brush or 
rag. Do not wash with water. Inject 
or insert with a soft rai;- a few drops of 
a lo per cent solution of carbolic acid. 
When the lamb is in his natural position 
he will arrive with his head and front 
feet first, givin<^- the ewe little trouble, 
unless the shoulder or withers are ab- 
normally large. When the head is swol- 
len, or one foot is still back, it is certain 
the ewe needs assistance at once. Xearly 
all lambs coming with their hind legs or 
tail first must be pulled ; do this as soon 
as you notice it. Never neglect ewes 
laboring more than one hour. If they 
have not had the lamb in this time, it is 
absolutelv necessary to take the lamb 
from them or it will be dead. 

twins: THKIR C.\RK DK.XD LAMBS. 

When a ewe has twins and is not 
willing or able to care for them both, 
try to find a ewe with a dead lamb ; take 
the hide ofif the dead lamb by case skin- 
ning, cutting the hind legs off at the sec- 
ond joint from the foot, then open the 
skin between the hind legs, pull what is 
left of the legs up through this opening, 
then pull the hide back over the body. 
Cut off the front legs the same way, 
then ]n\\\ the hide down over the neck to 
the head ; cut it off there. This will 
cover the live lamb all except the head 



— 16— 

and opening you made in taking off the 
hide. Over these exposed parts rub the 
entrails of the skinned lamb. Do not 
make the lamb red with blood, for the 
ewe may scare from it. Always put the 
hide on the smallest of the twins, leav- 
ing the best one with its own mother. 
The hide should be left on no longer 
than is necessary to make the ewe own 
the lamb, which is generally about 24 
hours. In real warm weather, when flies 
give trouble, it may prove best not to 
l^other with the hide method, but simply 
cut the entrails out of the dead lamb and 
rub them well all over the motherless 
lamb, so the ewe that had the dead lamb 
will take it from the scent. In most 
cases where the ew^e has not had the op- 
portunity of seeing or smelling her own 
lamb at birth, she will accept any newly 
born lamb the same as she would her 
own without using either of the above 
methods. Xearly all ewes with much 
milk will take to such lambs quickly, 
while those with little milk are not easily 
"fooled." By either of the above meth- 
ods it is best to keep the ewe tied or 
penned until you are sure she does own 
the strange lamb. Experienced help will 
generally know by the action of the ewe 
just when to turn her loose with her 
adopted lamb. Still, unless she has good 
feed and water while so tied or penned, 
she will dry up in a few days, when it 



becomes impossible for ber to motber 
tbe "bum." Extra good mothers drop- 
ping their lambs near others at times be- 
come over-anxious and claim lambs be- 
longing to other ewes, making it look 
like "twins or better." Do not be fooled. 
Ijut single such ewes out with their lamb 
and put her stolen lamb or lambs with 
their right mothers. Get the right 
.MOTHERS. Keep your twinned ewes on 
good feed and water, also by themselves, 
if you expect them to raise you two good 
laml)s. At least try not to put them in 
large bunches until they are at least lo 
or 12 days old. 

DEFORMED AND ALKAI.IED LAMP.s. 

Most deformed lambs, born with 
twisted legs, can be cured quickly by 
tying the deformed parts as near as pos- 
sible in their natural position for a day 
or two. Lambs born with their eyelids 
too large may be cured by taking a pair 
of scissors or a sharp pocket knife and 
cutting a small slice or slit horizontally 
out of the abnormal eyelid, when they 
will shrink nearlv to their normal size, 
allowing the lamb to open its eyes. 

Black alkali is very deadly to sheep, 
and especiallv to young lambs. Its ef- 
fects seem to be so sudden that there is 
little chance for a cure. Keep the young 
lam])s awav from all alkali beds and es- 



— 18— 

pecially froni Ijlack alkali holes during 
wet weather. 

White alkali is not so fatal, yet many 
good shepherds lose lambs by allowing 
them to nibble around alkali beds. 
Should you have some of these alkalied 
lambs or sheep, treat them at once by 
giving the lambs one-quarter cupful of 
vinegar, followed in one hour with three 
tablespoons ful of raw linseed oil. Sheep 
should be given one cup of vinegar and 
one-quarter cup linseed oil. Most sheep 
sick from this ailment will have a white 
alkali substance adhering to their nos- 
trils. 

Where a lamb has no movement of the 
bowels, give one tablespoonful of mo- 
lasses and raw linseed oil, mixed. When 
troubled with too much bowel movement, 
give one tablespoonful ginger and flour, 
mixed, once each day in both cases. 

LARHK AND SPOILED UDDKRS. 

See that all lambs too weak to get up 
are suckled. That all ewes with large 
udders are caught and milked out. Catch 
them without rushing them into a bunch 
of ewes and young lambs. If you can't, 
let them go until you can — watch for this 
opportunity. Tie or pen them up until 
the udder becomes normal and the lamb 
can get the teat without help. Many 
ewes having spoiled udders will come to 



—19— 

good milk in a few days, if milked out 
well two or three times daily. 

When the ewe has a caked udder, or 
is troubled with what is commonly 
known as "blue bag," treat her at once — 
for she will die if you don't — by milking 
out wdiat you can. Then mix one pint 
of coaloil with two gallons of hot water, 
wrap the udder with a heavy rag wet 
with this mixture : let it remain for ten 
minutes, remove, and rul) with a mixture 
of turi)entine and lard, or a weak solu- 
tion of creosote sheep dip or carbolic 
acid. Repeat this treatment each morn- 
ing and you will surelv save the ewe in 
a few days. Where the ewe has her ud- 
der spoiled on one side only, the milk 
being good on the other, she is likely to 
raise her lamb. However, all these ewes 
should be marked, so thev may be dis- 
])osed of in the fall shipment. When a 
ewe has "bummed" her lamb because 
she has a spoiled udder, take the lamb 
from her l)efore it becomes too weak, 
or dies : find a ewe with a dead lamb, 
then trv to force the "bimimed" lamb 
upon her as described under twins and 
their care. 

TRAILING KWKS AND LAMBS "RTJN- 

BACKS." 

Moving ew^es and their lambs from 
one location to another often brings con- 
siderable loss to the owner. Where he 



20 

has lono- drives to get to his summer 
rans^e, he is not only likely to lose many 
lambs, but will lose considerable in Hesh. 
Lambs are parted too much from their 
mothers, and cannot get enough sleep 
while on the trail. The shepherd should 
do his utmost and use all the care po?>- 
sible to avoid dropping lambs behind, un- 
der brush, in holes, or otherwise. The 
l)est of men lose lambs while trailing 
from one part of the range to another; 
still this does not make it a necessary 
evil. With due care this loss can 'he 
avoided. Try to do your trailing in the 
cool of early morning and late evening 
hours. Move them gently, so most of 
the ewes can tote their lambs along bv 
their side. You will get along quite well 
this way, for the ewes will then not tron- 
])le you trying to run back to hunt lambs. 
Do not overheat or wxaken your lambs 
hv continual dogging. If you must drive 
them rapidly, use rattle cans. This noise 
will not onlv keep them on their feet, but 
will scare them along much faster than 
a barking dog that always turns your 
leaders back on you. Rattle cans will 
alwavs startle voung lambs out of the 
l)rush much quicker than any dog when 
it is necessarv to move them. Tt some- 
times takes two or three hours for all the 
ewes in a large band to find their lambs 
after being" trailed. Until these ewes 
have all found their lambs there is 



21 

danger of a "runl)ack" should you leave 
them. Kwes will in\ariably become ex- 
cited and run hack to where they saw 
their lambs last whenever they miss 
them. Avoid ibis extra work, and 
the hardshi]) on the ewes and lambs, by 
watchiui^- ihem until all the ewes have 
found their lambs whenever you have 
moved them. Losing laml)s while trail- 
ing will generally cause the ewe to be- 
come sick with spoiled udder or "blue 
bag.- 

ACC1I)KXT.\L Mixixr.. 
We have seen men try to separate ewes 
and lambs that have become mixed 
through their carelessness, or by acci- 
dent, before the boss got around, causing 
heavy loss. Warn the men never to try 
this ; the}' never, or very seldom, can 
part them straight. In a mix of this 
kind — we trust there will not l)e any — 
l)y all means trv to leave the ewes quiet ; 
hold them still a few hours, not too 
close, so each ewe can single out her 
lamb and become contented. This gives 
other ewes a chance to hnd their lambs 
without running from one part of the 
range to another. When these mixed 
l)unches are not rushed and pushed 
around they will likely straighten them- 
selves out with as few "bums" as pos- 
sible under such conditions. Should a 
mix of this kind make more than a full 
band, the owner or foreman should put 



22 

a light slat corral around the bunch 
(this can be done quicker than moving 
them to a distant corral), then counting 
out the number of ewes over and above 
a normal herd. He should spend con- 
siderable time watching these ewes call 
their lambs out through "lamb holes" 
made in all parts of the corral. 



MIXING, SHELTER, COYOTlCS, BADGKR 
HOLKS. 

To keep each bunch of ewes and 
lambs from mixing with another bunch ; 
to have them in good shelter during any 
storm ; to milk out ewes with large teats 
and suckle their lambs until they are able 
to take the teat themselves, are respect- 
ively the most important work for lamb- 
ing hands. It will be well to keep the 
men reminded that they will do much, 
indeed, for you and the sheep by being 
"on the job" at all times. The sheep may 
need their attention any moment ; they 
may mix at any time ; coyotes are never 
all asleep ; there may be a lamb in a hole 
that should be pulled out before the ewe 
loses it ; a lamb may have become 
clogged behind and need cleaning; an 
oncoming storm may make it necessary 
to place and hold them in shelter until 
it has passed. A live, watchful person 
is worth much indeed at lambing time. 
A sleepy-head has little value around 
sheep at any time. 



—23— 

FORETELLING WEATHER— ALMANACS. 
BAROMETERS. 

\lthough general storms are expected 
bv everyonerthev are considered an ab- 
normal condition. Severity is seldom 
o-uarded against, wbich has often brought 
much loss at lambing time. Such storms 
mav comi^el you to make many changes, 
dciKMidino- upon their duration and se- 
verity 'Phcv will test the (luality ot 
vour' endurance. Stav with the ship and 
save the lambs. The necessary changing 
of position mav make much extra work 
for everyone. 'Necessity is the origin ot 
achievement. With your persistent pa- 
tience, together with vour best mental et- 
fort you will come out of the storm with 
most 'of the lambs, giving you the baa. 
baa ! as their thanks. As an illustration, 
perhaps the reader may pardon the tol- 
lowing true story : Some years ago while 
trailincr two bands of ewes upon the 
desert' we, bv mishap, became short ot 
camp water. However, necessity strength- 
ened our observing power, causing us to 
find a ledge of rock at the side of which 
crrew a few wild rose bushes. Here with 
no little perseverance we dug until we 
found sufficient water for camp mak- 
ing a watering place for others where it 
was alwavs thought impossible for water 
to be Who can say, had it been abso- 
lutelv necessarv to water the sheep, also 
that we might not have made a i^imp out 



—24— 

of the stove pipe, a handle out of the 
wagon tongue, a trough out of the wagon 
box, and with this invention watered the 
two bands of ewes also? After many 
years of close observation of weather 
conditions, during all seasons of the year, 
we are able to give you valuable informa- 
tion upon the weather you may expect 
SOMK TIME during the seven days follow- 
ing any of the moon's changes. We can- 
not say upon what exact date certain 
weather changes will take place, but do 
state the weather that is most likely to 
predominate during any of the moon's 
phases. When the new moon in any 
month comes in upon his back, these 
storms will be more severe than when it 
comes in standing up. The Indian had 
no powder horn. When the moon is 
moving from south to north it seldom 
fails to bring warmth, while it hardly 
ever fails to bring cold weather upon its 
return from the north. You should have 
a reliable almanac, giving the exact time 
of each of the moon's changes in the 
standard time of your locaHty. A storm- 
glass or barometer will keep you posted 
24 to 36 hours before any weather 
change. This mav save vou lambs. This 
table can be used any part of the year, 
allowing for snow in winter where the 
calculations foretell rain in summer. If 
the new moon, first quarter, full moon, or 
last quarter come in during the time 



given, the weather most Hkely to follow 
SOME TIME during the next seven days 
will be as follows : 

12 midnight to 2 a. m. — Fair days, cold 
nights. 

2 a. m. to 8 a. m. — Cold and rainy. 

8 a. m. to 2 130 ]). m. — Windy or heavy 
rains. 

2:30 ]). m. to 6 p. m. — Fair and warm. 

6 p. m. to 12 p. m. — Fair days, cold 
nights. 

We have found the new moon most 
likely to l)ring an excei)tion to this rule, 
still we assure you this tal)le is worth 
your consideration during all seasons of 
the year. Keep your lambs in shelter 
during severe sotrms bv reading a good 
almanac and watching this table. 

IIERDIXr.. DOGS AND EKED. 

The good she])her(l is not born every 
day. A quiet, unexcitable menatl char- 
acteristic is the utmost necessity. Ner- 
vous, excitable people become too easily 
angered ; they will wear themselves and 
the sheep out with over-work and abuse, 
while the overlv sentimental person be- 
comes too easily disheartened ; others 
have to do his work while he stands 
around telling you in a sorrowful tone 
how it broke his heart to see that poor 
twin lamb die, during which time other 
lambs in his care are dying from his 
neiilect. He is the first to give ui) the 



—26— 

ship when "everything goes dead wrong." 
Most ewes, and especially two-year-olds, 
are very timid and easily frightened from 
their lambs when left out by themselves 
or in small bunches. For this and other 
reasons it is best to have few dogs upon 
a lambing ground, especially around the 
dropping ewes. If any, they should be 
in care of experienced men only, for 
whom they may head off a bad mix or 
find a lamb in a hole, etc. Inexperienced 
men never watch their dogs close enough, 
when the very best of dogs will scare 
many ewes from their lambs, even though 
they are not very near them. So if you 
can control the bunches without the aid 
of dogs, it will always help your per cent 
to do so. Again, it will be well to re- 
mind the help that they are on a lambing 
ground, where it takes much cool temper 
and manv hard knocks to make things 
go right at times. Inform them that it 
is not always possible to fatten the ewes 
during lambing, so they will not run the 
drop band, or the ewes with lambs, all 
over the country each day looking for 
feed. True, they should be allowed to 
scatter and spread over their allotted 
pasture ; but we once heard an owner 
tell a "new man" to take the sheep out 
on good range and allow them to "cover 
all the ground possible." The next day 
we met this shepherd (?) about three 
miles from his camp, dogging his sheep 



—27— 

from one part of the range to another. 
When asked where he was going, he an- 
swered that "the boss had told him to let 
them cover all the ground ]:)ossible" and 
that he was doing the best he could to 
get over all the ground. Needless to say 
that the boss is the loser when his flocks 
are tended in such a manner. 

The lamb needs milk, and the ewe 
needs feed to produce it, but the lambs 
also need much sleep and rest to make 
them grow fast. Rather have the ewes 
near water and upon less feed until the 
lambs become at least ten days old. 

SIIKl) LAM P.I xo. 

For early or shed laml)ing the follow- 
ing illustrations will give a good idea of 
the individual pens, of which there should 
be about 70 for each t,ooo ewes. These 
pens are about three and one-half feet 
long and 32 inches wide. The panels 
and gates are 3 feet high and are made 
of I by 4-inch boards ; the panels being 
made exactly 7 feet long, and the gates 
^2 inches wide. At each end on both 
sides of the panels is nailed a i by 2-inch 
strip to space the 4-inch boards, as fol- 
lows : Bottom space, 23/2 inches ; second 
space, 3 inches ; third space, 5 inches ; 
fourth space, 6 inches. To partition the 
panels at the center, we use 16 or 20- 
foot boards, as follows : Bottom space, 
4-inch board notched 34 inch on top 



and bottom sides, at each cross section 
of panels ; second space, 4-inch board 
notched Vi inch at each cross section of 




panels ; third space, water trough, 4 
inches deep, 8 inches wide ; fourth space, 
8-inch board notched i inch at each cross 
section of panel. The panel has a 6-inch 



—29— 

board nailed upright at each outer end. 
'I'his makes the shde for the gate to pass 
up and down in, also holding it in place. 




On top of the panel notched in A4 inch 
is a 2-inch strip passing parallel with the 
gates, but over the panels. This strip 
stops the gates from falling inward. As 



— 30— 

there are no nails used in these top 
strips nor in the boards which make the 
partition through the center, these pens 
are easily collapsed and removed, should 
the shed be used for other purposes dur- 
ing other seasons of the year. To the 
sides are fastened gunny sacks to hold 
feed for each ewe. On top at center is 
an 8-inch walking board, over which the 
attendants may pass without disturbing 
dropping ewes in other parts of the shed. 
To clean the water trough when it be- 
comes dirty there is an endless ^/[-inch 
rope passing through the trough and 
over the pens ; to this are attached rags 
or gunny sacks, which are drawn through 
the trough. Tacked to the top board of 
panel in each pen there is a small canvas 
sack containing three different colored 
small rags or flags to indicate whether 
the ewe claims her lamb, has twins, large 
udder, or is ready to turn out. 

THE ""PULLMAN."" 

This is the lamb wagon, which brings 
the ewe and lamb to the shed from the 
pasture during the day. It is made of 
the same material as the individual pens 
above described, placed upon a low run- 
ning gear, with a floor made of i^-inch 
boards, w^ith a 2 by 2-inch strip along 
each side to firmly hold the pens from 
any lateral or side motion. There are 
seven pens on each side, 14 in all. To 



—pl- 
each i^ate and over the tO]) and ends of 
the pens is tacked heavy canvas to ex- 
clude all rains and winds from the newly 
l)orn lam])s while they are beino- hauled 
from |)asture to shed. l>on the range 
the ewe and laml) are sheltered durino- 
storms with a small "sheep tepee" until 
the "Pullman" arrives, which insures 
continual warmth for the lamb until he 
is placed in the shed. There is feed for 
the ewe in sacks in each of the 14 pens. 
Indicating flags or rags are hung on small 
nails on each gate to show the attendant 
at the shed, when the wagon arrives, the 
character of each ewe, that he may in- 
telligentlv care for her and her lamb at 
once. The dimensions are : Length of 
floor, 14 feet; width of floor, y feet: 
length of jianel, 6 feet 8 inches; width 
of gate, 22 inches ; height of pens, 3 
feet. This allows each ewe a space 39 
inches long and 22 inches wide. Such a 
wagon will cost complete about fifty dol- 
lars. Tt will do the work for about 2,500 
dropping ewes, when they are not pas- 
tured much more than one mile from the 
lambing shed. 

The attendants at the shed, after un- 
loading the wagon and placing each ewe 
in an individual pen. see that each lamb 
is suckled; also that the ewe has plenty 
of good clean feed and water until she 
is readv to turn out and mix with other 



—32— 

ewes and lambs, according to the table 
of these rules. 

It may be necessary to keep obstinate 



. « 




ewes, that will not claim their lamb, 
penned for three or four days ; it is not 
advisable to hold them longer, as they 
will dry up unless you have good milk- 



—33— 

producint^ feed. Most ewes and their 
lambs can be numbered and turned out 
in small bunches of say fifty head, after 







they have been in the individual pens 24 
hours. They can thus be kept in separate 
yards around the main lambing shed for 
three or more davs. Here the attendant 



—34— 

can watch them ; should any of the ewes 
refuse their lambs, they can be easily 
picked out by their number and returned 
to the single pen. After the lambs are 
four or five days old they can be placed 
in bands of three hundred and removed 
to other parts of the pasture, where there 
is good shelter, or, better, where there 
are other small sheds that will accom- 
modate such small bunches. 

NIGHT WORK. 

Some owners have one or two men 
working among their dropping ewes all 
night when shed lambing. These men 
remove the new-born lambs and their 
mothers from the dropping ewes as soon 
as they drop. This method is very hard 
on the ewes ; it breaks their rest. After 
being worked this way for eight or ten 
nights, all ewes not in extra good condi- 
tion, together with those heavy with 
twins, will become very weak ; many of 
them will dry up in milk and become un- 
able to raise a lamb. A much better sys- 
tem is to partition the dropping ewes oft 
with panels each night when they come 
into the shed, allowing about 150 to each 
compartment or lot. Thus there will be 
but few lambs to care for in each lot in 
the morning ; these can be readily re- 
moved when turning out the ewes. This 
permits the ewes to conserve their 



—35— 

strength for the sick spell, with a good 
rest at night. 

TAGS. 

During this lambing the sheep gener- 
ally still carry their wool. This often 
causes the new-born laml) considerable 
trouble. Careless shepherds often allow 
lambs to suck tags until they die. It 
only takes a moment to remove the tags 
from the udder, so watch all new-born 
lambs when lambing "wool sheep" until 
you are sure the lamb has found the 
teat. Some flockmasters have all their 
dropping ewes shorn around the udder 
just before lambing sheep with the 
wool on. 

S.ALT. 

After lambs become two weeks old 
they will begin to nibble for salt. If you 
do not allow them the salt they will eat 
any loose dirt. This may kill a few in 
any case. Should your pasture contain 
much alkali, or soil containing small 
quantities of arsenic matter, you are like- 
Iv to lose quite a number of the lambs 
about the time they begin eating, as they 
invariably nibble for a salt substance 
first. If convenient, feed the loose salt 
in troughs only ; otherwise use block 
salt. Allow about three ounces per ewe 
each week, or roughlv speaking twenty 
pounds of salt for each one hundred 
ewes and their lambs per week. They 



-36- 

will rec|iiire this amount only where they 
are on very soft, green feed, l^pon the 
range, where there is considerable na- 
tural salt feed, or the water is strongly 
alkalized, they will not consume that 
amount. Where they are given salt at 
regular intervals there is no danger of 
over-feeding. Salt is good for the wool; 
it makes good healthy lambs. 

CHILLED LAMBS. 

Chilled lambs bring "chilled men." 
These lambs take the life and incentive 
out of man}^ ''new men" who stand 
around in dejected spirits, while the real 
shepherd does much of their work to 
revive and prevent chilled lambs every- 
where. 

There are many ways to revive the 
chilled lambs found upon any lambing 
ground. Some persons wrap them in a 
cloth taken out of hot water. Others 
wrap them well in dry rags. Some give 
hot milk, whiskey, brandy, etc. Either 
of these treatments will generally revive 
them. A very simple method is to take 
a rag or gunnv sack and rub them until 
respiration fully returns ; rub them quite 
dry if wet, put a very small amount of 
salt upon the tongue — this stimulates the 
heart to action by causing a light general 
irritation. When the lamb has enough 
life to take milk, suckle it just a little, 
not too much ; repeat in an hour. When 



—2>7— 

the tongue of the laml) is still warm he 
will surely and (|uickly come to real life 
if you will kindly treat him as descrihed. 
Place all such lambs in the best shelter, 
W'here they are out of the wind, and most 
of them will be with you when the storm 
is over. .V little extra work at this time 
will always be greatly ai:)])reciate(l by 
every one concerned. 

Till': I-IAKI.N- l.A.Mi;. 

As a general thing earl\- laml)s are con- 
siderably more expensive to the ]:)roducer 
than the late lamljs born upon the open 
range. The ewes need extra feed through 
the winter months, in order that they 
ma}' have milk for the young, even 
though there is no green grass. Yet in 
most cases this extra cost is justified by 
the greater value of the lamb at shipping 
time. These lambs grow and put on 
flesh very rapidly upon the soft young 
grass of the early spring months, when 
their mothers give so much milk. Again, 
as most breeders use their oldest ewes or 
the ones that they know will need much 
extra feed and care through the winter 
months, for this lambing, there is an- 
other consolation in the fact that should 
such a ewe lose her lamb at lambing 
time, she, too, will have advantage of that 
soft green feed so essential to place old 
ewes in good marketable shape at ship- 
ping time. Another advantage is that the 



-38- 

lamb can be taken from them during the 
summer or early fall months, which per- 
mits the ewe to become in good condition 
for the next breeding or the following 
winter. 

SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC. 

In docking lambs we have had the best 
success when the sign was at Taurus, 
Neck. In breeding, we find when the 
ewe comes in season or heat while the 
sign is at Scorpio and the ram is given 
during her first day in, the ewe will pre- 
dominate the sex. Especially is this true 
when the ewe is somewhat older than 
the ram. Should the ram be given when 
the ewe is going out, the sex of offspring 
will be nearly even. 

When the ewe comes in while the sign 
is at Aries or Taurus, and the ram is not 
given until the second day, the ram will 
strongly predominate the sex. This is 
also especially true where the ram is a 
little the oldest and in a somewhat better 
physical condition. 

Close attention shows us this law of 
nature very clearly, yet we have much to 
learn regarding it. Trv it next season 
when breeding. 

We are indeed aware that circum- 
stances will not always permit you to 
abide by these rules to the minute. Per- 
haps they will save lambs even if fol- 
lowed only in part. Use them — try them. 



—39— 

Use the same mental efifort to keep 
you out of MISTAKES that you use to get 
the OTHER FELLOW to Straighten them. 

In closing, we have tried to make the 
wording sini])le and without too much de- 
tail, which might give to a simi)le matter 
the appearance of heing complicated. We 
would gladly he on the joh, to see the 
boys, "the lay of the land," the feed and 
water, or other details. For these, and 
to get the most out of your environs, your 
judgment is always essential to bring the 
total per cent for which you are working, 
and which we so sincerelv wish \ou. 
Respectfully yours, 

Thom.\s Bovl.vx, 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

II ill 1 1 



002 865 035 8 i 



